Sunday, February 5, 2012

Part 2 of of my Go Green Resolution in 2011 was to Use Eco-Friendly Household and Cleaning Products. I have to say this was fairly easy. See below for some great products that I have found. I hope to continue adding to my list...

HOUSEHOLD and GENERAL - Cleaners and Cloth Rags
For everyday cleaning - we use old Rags and Towels to clean up messes. I can honestly say I have not bought Paper Towel in years!
And sometimes all you need is a little water to clean something up. I have also found Many Great uses for Vinegar and Baking Soda - which I always have in the house. These 2 products are also great, because they are cheap! Baking Soda: ARM and HAMMER Baking Soda - 13.5 lb. bagVinegar: Bakers and Chefs VinegarWater: It Comes out of the Tap ... lolRags: Cut up Old Towels or T-ShirtsKITCHEN - Dish Soap and Cloth TowelsSwapping Dish Soaps was no problem. I have used Mrs Meyers and Seventh Generation and found that both worked great. I love the various scents that Mrs Meyers has to offer - and have even tried some of their other products - including Countertop Spray. We also have a large collection of Kitchen Towels, Washcloths & Cloth Napkins - Most of which are from Estate Sales, Rummages or Etsy!Dish Soap: Seventh Generation Dish Liquid or Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dish SoapCountertop Spray: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Counter Top SprayDishwasher Detergent: Can anyone recommend a product?

BATHROOM - Cleaners and Cloth RagsSame as with the Kitchen, swapping cleaners was not a problem. With a little elbow grease, anything is easy to clean. We use a traditional Toilet Brush, you don't need anything fancy. We use various cleaning products from Bio Kleen Bac Out - including the Bathroom Cleaning and General Purpose Enzyme Cleaner. We also re-purpose old towels as rags for cleaning the bathroom and other areas of our house.Toilet Brush: Casabella Bowl Brush SetBathroom Cleaner: Biokleen Bac Out Bathroom Cleaner SprayGeneral Purpose: Bac-Out Stain and Odor EliminatorToilet Bowl: Can anyone recommend a product?

LAUNDRY ROOM - Detergent and Dryer BallsI have sensitive skin and have always tried to use more natural detergent - so as not to irritate it. Currently I am using ECOs for Everyday Laundry Cleaning. During the summer we hang all of our clothing outside - to air dry. In the winter, I do have have an indoor drying rack, but also use the dryer. I currently have some Nellie's Dryer balls (instead of dryer sheets) - but would like to try Wool Dryer balls.Laundry Detergent: ECOS Liquid Laundry Detergent Magnolia and LilyDryer Balls: Nellie's Dryer Balls

Any other recommendations? Have a great product I should try? I would LOVE to hear from you :)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Okay - This may seem 'a little broad' ... but let me explain. Going green, being eco-friendly ... is nothing new to me, but I want to do more. I didn't want to become overwhelmed by doing it all at once, as I wanted to ingrain my earth friendly practices into my everyday life.

One area that was new from me in 2011 - was Body Care products. I wanted to quite using harsh chemicals - as it would be better for me, my family and the environment. This is still a work in progress - but I would like to share the items that I am currently using, how I got to where I am and I'm hoping to get some suggestions for even better items!

HAIR CARE - Shampoo and Conditioner:
Currently I only use Shampoo and Conditioner. I do not use any styling products, a hair dryer or dyes. Over the last year I have worked my way down to only washing my hair once every 2 to 3 days. To get to this point, I started by Swapping between my old, harsh shampoo to a new sulfate and paraben-free shampoo every other day that I washed my hair. From there, I started to skip a day of washing on occasion and then made it a regular practice for several weeks. And then I gave up my harsh shampoo all-together. I now use a more eco-friendly sulfate and paraben free shampoo ever 2 to 3 days. I have to say, my hair never looked better. I did the same thing with conditioner - and when I feel like I need it, I use one with Tea Tree oil.Shampoo: Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo for Frequent Use, 11-Ounce BottleConditioner: Tea Tree Oil Therapy Conditioner - 8 oz,(Jason Natural)

BODY CARE - Body Wash, Deodorant, Lotion, Shaving and Bubble Bath!
Body wash was a fairly easy thing to change. I was able to make the switch by using the Old & New every other day, and then just completely switching over to the new. I like the Grapefruit scent to the Kirks - as it gave me an awake feeling. I would like to add that I do have sensitive skin & have on occasion reacted to new Laundry Detergents, etc - I have found that Castile Soap w/ Tea Tree oil is great for cleaning these areas, reducing irritation and promoting quick healing. Deodorant was probably one of the most difficult to switch. I have very sensitive under-arms but knew that I needed to get away from the Aluminum laden product that I was using. I felt like I was addicted to it, as it was the only thing that had worked for me and I was afraid of change, as I did not want an adverse allergic reaction. Here is how it went. I started using Arm & Hammer Natural Deodorant- as I knew that it was free of aluminum. Prior to the swap I would apply my Anti-Perspireant/Deodorant twice a day - right after my shower (at night) & right before work (in the morning). After making the switch - I decided that I would start to apply it only in the morning before work. WOW did I smell for the first month or 2. I think my body needed to cleanse itself, as I found myself washing my under-arms 2 or 3 times a day - in order to avoid smelling. I am very happy that I did that, because now (a year later) I can go a day or 2 without deodorant, and I am fine! I am happy with my Choice of Deodorant, as it got me away from aluminum, but I have discovered that my 'Natural' Deodorant isn't as natural as I would like it to be & am hoping that someone can recommend some other options. Lotion has been my easiest & hardest area to change, as I actually rarely use it. I am currently using CJ's Creamy Body lotion as hand lotion. And Palmer's Cocoa Butter for stretch marks (new baby!). I also bought some Babo Botanicals for the New Baby & ended up using the Entire Bottle of Bubble Bath, I just loved it! Shaving is interesting. Over the winter, I try to limit the amount of times I shave my legs - as it is simply not necessary. I also use a razor with replaceable head, so that I am not throwing out the entire thing. I also find that they last much longer than you would expect, just be careful. As for Shaving Cream - I now use Kiss My Face Moisture Shave and Love It! It is great for sensitive skin and the packaging is recyclable too!Body Wash: Kirks Original Coco Body Wash Grapefruit Ginger 16 ozCastile Soap w/ Tea Tree: Dr. Bronner - Castile Soap Tea Tree or Desert Essence Liquid SoapDeodorant: Arm and Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorant, UnscentedBubble Bath: Babo Botanicals Babo Botanicals Lavender MeadowsweetBody Butter: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter For Stretch MarksHand/Body Lotion: CJ's Creamy Body Lotion (Coconut Lime Dream)Shaving Cream: Kiss My Face Fragrance Free Moisture Shave

FACIAL CARE - Face Wash and Lotion:
Facial Care was very hard to change, as I felt like I had very sensitive, temperamental skin. My skin also seems to change, as the weather changes, which makes it difficult to know if a product is actually working or not for me. I do have some mild/occassional acne and I am still hoping to find a more natural remedy for this. I was able to switch my face wash & face lotion and I have to say, my face feels less oily now that I have gotten away from one that contained Salycylic Acid (which is for acne treatment). It is however winter now - so we will see what happens in spring!Face Wash: Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser with Cotton ExtractFace Lotion: Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Daily Moisturizing Cream with Cotton ExtractAcne Treatment: Looking for suggestions

ORAL CARE - Toothpaste:
Currently I use Tom's Of Maine - I have been using this for quite some time and really like it. I like that I can brush my teeth and then go drink a cup of coffee or eat some food without that weird taste in your mouth. I don't use mouthwash & I really should floss ... are there any eco options for floss?Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Long Lasting Fresh Breath Fluoride ToothpasteFloss: Looking for suggestions

Overall - another great way to 'Be Green' is to simply use less. You may find that you are using too much shampoo, conditioner or even body wash than you actually need. I found that this to be very true with Body Wash for me - and now use about half of my original amount.

Have you tried similar product? Do you have any suggestions? Please let me know!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Prior to 2011, I never made New Year's Resolutions - However, I decided it was time to start.

2011 Resolution #1: De-Clutter & Donate
The plan was to get a BIG BOX and put ONE item in everyday to Donate to a Local Charity. I have to say, It was a SUCCESS! In the beginning, I kept a large Cardboard Box in my Kitchen - so that I would see it everyday as Reminder of what I was doing. The great thing was - it worked much better than I thought! Everyday for the first couple weeks I found myself cleaning out a cabinet or drawer to find items I no longer needed! I was cleaning out cupboards that I had not looked in for a couple years. I discovered forgotten items, brand new items & useless items. I found items to sell in my Etsy Store and on Ebay.

After the initial burst of energy, to De-Clutter & Donate, I was able to continue cleaning out Drawers, Shelves & Cabinets throughout the year - in an effort to better organize my life. While the large box is no longer in my kitchen, I now keep a small bag of items in the closet that I am constantly adding to as I find something. AND I can Honestly say I was able to donate OVER 365 Items (1 Item a Day) to the local Thrift Store. As I sit here & begin my taxes for 2011, I have all of my donation sheets and am Very Happy to report that I donated over $1500 worth of items, which feels great!

It's such a great feeling to have accomplished my goal and now it is just a part of everyday life :)
Lara

The things I did slightly different were: used red pepper, instead of green. I also chopped up extra bell pepper and onion and sauted it in a small amount of the bacon fat before adding to the soup/milk mix. Additionally, there was way too much sauce and I did not use it all. Either way, my husband loved it! View More Photos of the Preparation & Finished Product on Flickr.